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Hi everyone, You can call me Z. I'm new to all of this and I'm not even sure if I'm doing this correctly but I wanted to find a place where I didn't feel alone. As I'm writing this, my eyes are actually tearing up and I can feel tension at the back of my throat. How strange. I haven't even interacted with anyone yet but after reading some pieces, I feel like I've found others who just might understand and that makes me very excited. I was recently diagnosed with PSTD and Panic Attack disorder. I've been dealing with attacks since I was 16 but I never sought help for it until this year (I'm 21). I just hope to make some friends who genuinely understand what it's like to live with severe anxiety or the likes and care. I also love hearing people's stories and how they came to be who they are today. Hopefully I'm doing this correctly lol. Z

Hi guys, so I'm almost done my first year of college and to be honest it has not been that great of a year. I'm doing fine academically but really bad socially. I don't know why but my anxiety is horrible. I am always second guessing myself in social situations, thinking "what will they think if i say this" or "why aren't they talking to me, there must be something wrong with me". I've read up on social anxiety and being vulnerable enough that I know that I should not trust my thoughts and that they are irrational. But at the same time, I'm so used to being in my head all the time. I used to think that I was just introspective but now I hate being so anxious all the time. I think my social anxiety has led me to feel depressed. Mostly I feel hopeless about my future because I know how much my anxiety holds me back. I really want to make friends but even though I'm desperate, my anxiety still pulls me back. Whenever I try to initiate a conversation or join one, my mind goes black and i just become so insecure and dont know what the "right thing to say" is. I think I should probably be seeking professional help but the mental health services at my school is really bad and I can't afford to get a therapist somewhere else. I wanted to know if anyone has some strategies that have helped them when feeling socially anxious while talking to others. I've tried to deconstruct my thoughts and such but I still freeze up and I want to feel more relaxed and less anxious so that I can grow and feel less stuck. Thank you!! 😊

I'm a 20 year old college student, and I think I can safely diagnose myself with health related anxiety. I was always one to worry about my physical health, and I'd always go to the doctor to put myself at ease. I handled it well before, but recently a friend my age died of cancer and it set off the ticking time bomb within me. First, I had an infected cyst under my arm. I convinced myself I had undiagnosed lymphoma. I went to 3 doctors, and they all told me that it was a minor infection. For some reason, I didn't believe them. I didn't believe them even though I was put on antibiotics and the infection and lump went away under my arm. On top of not believing them, I constantly check the internet and check my temperature for that short relieved assurance that I'm fine. Second, I have a minor cough that's accompanied by a tickle in my throat. I then convinced myself I had lung cancer or some sort of fatal disease in my heart or lungs. Went to the doctor and they told me I had a bunch of mucus in the back of my throat and it was a post nasal drip. Third, I started having back pain. Once again, searching the internet made me believe I had lung cancer or failing kidneys. In the back of my mind I knew it was from bad posture, but my body told me it was cancer. Now this week, I'm studying the nervous system and we covered several motor disorders. These include ALS, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and others. Now I've developed weakness in my legs and arms (they feel like jelly), and my hands are shaking a tiny bit. I have been constantly in a state of anxiety since the beginning of November, and this is most likely from anxiety, but I am CONVINCED I have ALS. I can hold a pen just fine, I'm not tripping over my feet, I was able to lift a 25 pound kettlebell in each individual hand, and I walked up and down 6 flight of stairs 3 times yesterday. My legs feel better, and my hands feel better, but are still shaky. Yet here I am. Because I am in such a state of anxiousness all day every day, I haven't been able to eat or study. I am crying nearly every other day. These are the thoughts that run through my mind as soon as I wake up in the morning up until I go to bed. I have avoided hearing or reading the words cancer, death, disease, etc. Every time I hear it, I go into panic mode and I nearly vomit. I'm even bothering my parents because I'm constantly calling them to ask for reassurance that I'm not fatally ill. I'm seeing someone about this when I come home from school, but I am desperate for medication that can help me be in a calmer state so I can deal with my anxiety better. I don't know how this works. Has anyone ever started feeling symptoms when they hear about a new disease? How have you guys coped with this? My goal in life is to work as a physical therapist in a hospital with patients with spinal cord injuries, amputated limbs, and other disabling problems. I can't do that if I can barely deal with my own health.

I thought that things would get better in college, but they have not. I still feel excluded and I still have the same fears that I had when I was home. Nothing is as good as I thought that it was going to be.

Hi. I am the parent of a young adult who's suffering extreme stress and anxiety, partly due to finishing college studies. She's suffered anxiety for many years, and I hope I can hear from some of you how I can best help as a family member - most online articles and links are geared to parents of younger children. She has plenty of support at school with a great therapist and terrific student services support, but her ups and downs paralyze ME sometimes. I hope for some advice and clarity on how to be a good help.She was diagnosed recently as mildly Aspergers in addition to her longstanding struggle with GAD. This description helps understand her kinds of struggles, but doesn't help much with day to day advice helping her. I want her to end up independent and happy.